Co-Produced Fluids, How Geothermal Could Benefit Oil and Gas

There is a growing uneasiness in the oil and gas industry.

With the world eyeing ways to shift away from fossil fuels, an uncertain future is on the horizon for well operators. Attention is on what can turn profits now and how operations can take advantage of this new era of green energy. Powering an ORC system with co-produced fluids can increase efficiency and reduce costs, it may just be the cost-effective and simple solution operators are looking for.

The Problem

Along with the extraction of oil and gases comes hot water, this mixture is commonly known as co-produced fluids. This hot water is either pumped back into the ground to maintain well pressure or is removed, the two costing the oil and gas industry billions each year. Experts estimate that an average of 7 barrels of water are produced for every 1 barrel of oil. As wells age, they also tend to have significantly increased output ratios of hot water versus oil or gas, decreasing their economic viability. This hot water can be used as a geothermal heat source, providing renewable power. If there is such an abundance of hot water, why is there not infrastructure in place to take advantage of this resource?

The Solution

Co-produced fluids were, up until recently, considered a nuisance and uneconomical for power generation. This is because co-produced fluids are not at a high enough temperature to be used in traditional steam power production and the infrastructure required left a complex footprint. However, thanks to advancements in Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology this low-temperature heat can now be utilized with heat to power systems such as the ElectraTherm Power+ Generator lub Aktywny cooler.

ElectraTherm’s ORC heat to power technology can utilize the thermal energy in fluid heat sources as low as 70°C and generate clean electricity, providing a baseload power supply or additional revenue stream. Our solutions are designed for remote operation, require minimal maintenance, and contain an advanced set of automatic controls that allow the system to power on/off as needed while running continuously at varying loads.

This opens opportunities across the oil and gas industry to…

// repurpose abandoned oil and gas infrastructure.

// extend the economic viability of existing oil and gas operations.

// provide emission-free electricity to offset energy costs or be sold to the grid.

// reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

// add renewable power to energy portfolio.

The Future

With the world favoring renewable energy and eyeing ways to shift away from fossil fuels – it is crucial the industry recognizes the immense potential under their feet. The best part about using co-produced fluids for power generation? While traditional geothermal energy production requires extensive drilling and infrastructure, the oil and gas industry already has access to their water source, significantly offsetting capital costs. With ElectraTherm, operators can benefit from a baseload power supply that improves their bottom line and is both mobile and scalable, allowing for future implementation.

 

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Informacje o ElectraTherm
ElectraTherm firmy BITZER Group zapewnia światowej klasy rozwiązania w zakresie odzyskiwania ciepła odpadowego, wykorzystując organiczny cykl Rankine'a wraz z zastrzeżonymi technologiami do przekształcania ciepła niskotemperaturowego w czystą energię. Proste i skuteczne rozwiązania ElectraTherm generują czystą energię elektryczną, zwiększają wydajność, obniżają koszty energii i zmniejszają emisje - bez dodatkowego zużycia paliwa. Po dostarczeniu ponad 100 jednostek ORC do ponad 13 krajów, które przepracowały ponad 2 000 000 godzin, ElectraTherm jest światowym liderem w odzyskiwaniu ciepła odpadowego na małą skalę.

The combined advantage of ElectraTherm’s engineering along with the value of being supported by BITZER, the world’s largest independent manufacturer of refrigeration compressors which boasts close to 3,500 global employees and average annual sales approaching $1 billion, allows the ElectraTherm team to dedicate their energy to the advancement of waste heat recovery technology in the marketplace.

ElectraTherm Power+ Generator is a heat to power generator, converting waste heat into clean electricity and usable thermal while offsetting the cooling load. The Aktywny cooler acts as a cooling to power generator, using the same cycle to provide self-powered cooling while generating electricity. Both of ElectraTherm’s solutions reduce emissions and energy costs while providing a baseload power / cooling supply. Taking advantage of waste heat is not only profitable, but practical. Allowing companies to benefit from a more circular economy while achieving sustainability goals.

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